Officers, students say "Enough is Enough"

MISSION VALLEY  For weeks last fall, the big news out of Chula Vista was a vandalism series that left hundreds of cars damaged and one person injured.

Three men had been driving around the city shooting out car windows with pellet guns, police said.

But their rampage came to an end when Officer Robert Murgia, who was patrolling during the graveyard shift on October 6, noticed a suspicious van. He walked up to it and saw an air rifle, an air pistol and two canisters of BB pellets inside.

Nearby, he was able to nab three suspects, who were jailed on more than 100 counts of vandalism.

“For me, it’s the closure for the citizens,” he said of the arrests. “Those people don’t feel safe, they feel threatened.”

Murgia, a 13-year veteran of the Chula Vista Police Department, was one of 21 law enforcement officers honored Thursday for going above and beyond the call of duty at the annual Crime Stoppers “Enough is Enough” luncheon.

Former San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, who also served as the city’s police chief in the 1990s, delivered the event’s keynote address at the Mission Valley Hilton.

“The cops, and anyone else being honored today, they go above and beyond everyday,” Sanders said. “Everyday they head to work and think, ‘What can I do to make my region better?’”

Each awardee received a plaque, while a short biography was read detailing their achievements. The vignettes told of an officer who saved a teen from choking to death, another who made daily contact with a family who lost their son to suicide, even on her days off, and an FBI agent who tapped 35 phone lines, which helped investigators zero in on North County-based gang activity.

San Diego police Officer Chris Krumrei was credited with arresting more than 50 violent offenders last year, many with connections to gangs or drugs.

The 7-year veteran was quick to credit his supervisors and partners for a lot of his on-the-job success, but acknowledged that hitting the streets played a role, as well.

“All your knowledge, when it comes to being a good street cop, I think, comes from getting out of the car and talking to people,” Krumrei said. “Knowing the players of the game, who’s running things, who’s calling the shots. It’s paid off for me.”

Not everyone awarded Thursday carried a badge. Sitting in the crowd were more than a dozen Monroe Clark Middle School students, whose matching white shirts advertised their anti-bullying club, Students Speaking Out.

“The club is to stop bullying around schools because we feel a lot of kids are always having trouble with that,” said 14-year-old Asiila Kadir, the club’s vice president.

She and her peers were the recipients of this year’s Betty Peabody Award, which is given to groups who impact their community or school in a positive way.

Asiila said part of her motivation to help start the club was because of bullying she endured.

“I was bullied for seven years,” she said. “Sometimes for my religion, because I’m Muslim, and sometimes because I’m smarter than other kids.”

President Courtney House said it felt good to be recognized for the work they do.

“It makes us feel like we’ve made a difference,” the 14-year-old said. “Like, even though we’re only kids, we’ve made a change in the world.”